In a year-long culinary exploration of the nation's capital, Peter Hum, the esteemed restaurant critic for the Ottawa Citizen, embarked on an extensive gastronomic tour throughout 2025. His mission was to sample and evaluate the breadth of Ottawa's evolving food landscape, from high-end dining establishments to humble street food vendors.
A Year of Diverse Culinary Discoveries
Hum's palate traveled widely, resulting in reviews of more than 60 distinct venues. His final tally for the year reached an impressive 65 restaurants, bakeries, cocktail bars, ice cream shops, and coffee joints. This comprehensive coverage aimed to highlight the best Ottawa has to offer across numerous categories, including tacos, ice creams, baked goods, and pizzas. The critic's journey celebrated everything from fine-dining triumphs to authentic global street food, providing an invaluable guide for local food enthusiasts and visitors alike.
From Ramen to Doughnuts: The 2025 Review List
The complete list of establishments reviewed by Peter Hum in 2025 showcases the city's remarkable culinary diversity. Among the notable names are Paper Tiger Noodle Bar, known for its signature beast ramen, and SuzyQ Doughnuts, a local favourite for trendy treats. The list spans international flavours, featuring spots like Bacata Colombian Coffee, Chicha San Chen, Tava Turkish Cuisine, and Thilaks Sri Lankan Cuisine.
Other highlights include Ek Bar on Preston Street, which served a creative yellowtail nimbu pani crudo, and Buvette Daphnée in the ByWard Market, offering dishes like duck confit. From Khao (Street Food Thailand and Bar) in Westboro to North Market in Almonte with its Hakurei turnips in bagna cauda, Hum's reviews painted a vivid picture of a vibrant and growing food scene.
Visual Feasts and Critical Insights
Accompanying the written critiques was a gallery of mouth-watering food photography, featuring images from photographers including Jean Levac, Tony Caldwell, Julie Oliver, and Hum himself. These visuals captured dishes like the mixed kebab platter at Tava Turkish Cuisine, the boat noodle soup at Khao, and the unique Nanaimo bar-stuffed chocolate chip cookie at Union Street Kitchen Cafe.
Published on December 29, 2025, this year-end roundup serves as both a retrospective of Ottawa's culinary year and a curated guide for future dining adventures. Peter Hum's work continues to be a trusted resource, with reviews and recommendations maintained as unbiased, and products independently selected.
